Apology
by inaudible fever
Summary: SasuSaku. People say the eyes are windows to the soul. Can Sakura prove this theory right? (Complete one shot.)


Looks like I'm back in the fanfiction world! I apologize, though. I honestly suck at writing fanfics. But seeing that Naruto is my current mini-obsession, and Sakura and Sasuke are my favorite pairing, I couldn't resist. Sorry for OOC-ness. I tried. XD  
  
Review. And enjoy, if that's possible. :3  
  
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Sakura was not just a little irritated-she was infuriated.  
  
  
  
To start off with her growing list of complaints, Sasuke was ignoring her as usual, Naruto was being irksome, and a pair of pants she bought recently were suddenly too small. It was enough to drive anyone up the nearest wall, and Sakura had had it.   
  
  
  
It might not have been a good start to the first morning of their "vacation", but Sakura, of course, would not pass up a chance to relax and hopefully gain the much-wanted attention of Sasuke.   
  
  
  
"I don't think I can take much more of this." Sakura stood in the door frame, watching Naruto sleep. He was curled up in a ball on his side, snoring enough to nearly make the floor shake. Sasuke was nowhere in sight; Sakura always wondered where he went off to early in the mornings. On this particular day, she did not even care (much) where he had gone. Sakura was beyond fed up.  
  
  
  
That's it, she thought, I have to complain. And if Kakashi is the only one around, he'll be the lucky listener!  
  
  
  
Sakura rolled her pink sleeping bag up and leaned it against the wall of the room they were sharing. After making sure it would not unroll over Naruto (she did have a heart that morning, it seemed), she walked to where Kakashi would be sleeping. He happened to have his very own room with his very own refrigerator.  
  
  
  
To her surprise, Kakashi was fast asleep. He was lying face down, just about smothered by the pillow, with soft snores wafting around the room. Make Out Paradise was lying on the floor beside him; one page was folded and Sakura wondered vaguely if the book went on forever, or if Kakashi was just a very slow reader.  
  
  
  
Sighing with disappointment of not being able to complain, Sakura walked out of the open door and strolled down the hallway, pausing only slightly to watch Naruto turn over and throw his arm across the wooden floor with a thud. He seemed to be a very deep sleeper; the sun was just rising up above the mountains and shone a light on his eyes, yet he still did not wake up or even flutter a lash.  
  
  
  
Where can Sasuke be? Sakura thought, suddenly growing concerned. Though each day he went out and came back, Sakura never worried about his travels until this morning. Sasuke hardly ever returned after the sun rose. Sakura knew he preferred to have no one know he even left, but she was such a discreet spy she got away with knowing.   
  
  
  
"Sasuke?"   
  
  
  
She knew it was foolish to look for him right in the hotel yard-why Sasuke would be hiding behind decorative shrubs and fountains was beyond her. But he's confusing, Sakura thought, peeking around the court. He could be anywhere.  
  
  
  
Sun crept through the leaves and shone a golden aura around everything as Sakura walked softly down the earth trail of the forest circling the hotel, eyes scanning around for Sasuke all the while making sure she wouldn't take a wrong turn and get lost. Her stomach growled-hunger took its toll, even though it was still early morning-and Sakura wished she had eaten at least a little something before leaving.   
  
  
  
Perhaps the most confusing thing about that morning was why she was even looking for Sasuke in the first place. She was worried he had gotten lost, or hurt, or something of that sort, of course-but there was something else this time, a feeling of something different. Something odd. Something like...something like...  
  
  
  
He might have run away, Sakura thought, biting her lip. He tried to before...today would be perfect...he knew yesterday was a busy day and all of us would be sleeping in...  
  
  
  
"Dammit!" Sakura yelled, feeling frustrated. Her thoughts were jumbled; her hypothesis came much too quickly. Panic took over instantly, and Sakura was left helpless.  
  
  
  
"Sasuke!" she called, causing a bird or two to fly off their branches overhead. "Sasuke! Hello?" She scanned the area frantically. "Are you here? Sasuke!"   
  
  
  
When she was greeted with silence, Sakura called louder. "SASUKE! WHERE ARE YOU?"  
  
There was a sudden rustling in the trees up ahead; Sakura looked up to find Sasuke sitting on a branch, leaning against the trunk. He looked mildly irritated, but concerned at the same time. "I'm here..." he muttered, looking at her. "What happened? What's wrong?"  
  
Sakura was so relieved, she would have hugged him if he wasn't so high up. "Nothing!" she said brightly, attempting to look as casual as she could. "I was...looking for you."  
  
"Oh," Sasuke replied absently. He looked rather distant, as though his mind was somewhere else but his body still remained on the branch, talking for him. "Okay."  
  
Sakura blinked. It was definitely not unusual that Sasuke didn't make conversation, but for one of the few times they were alone together did Sakura have nothing to say.   
  
"All right," she said, slightly disappointed. "I-I guess I'll go back then." She scratched the back of her neck. "Master Kakashi was wondering where you were, that's all." Sakura had always been good at lying.  
  
"OK." Sasuke looked blankly at her.   
  
Sakura turned from walking away and looked at him with concern. Sasuke looked and was acting much different than usual-empty, almost. Occupied. Confused. Too contemplative to acknowledge anything said.   
  
"Sasuke-kun?"  
  
He blinked. "Hm?"  
  
"Are you okay?"   
  
He never answered. Sasuke stared forward, keeping his eyes off Sakura.  
  
She didn't leave.  
  
"Come on. What's wrong?" Sakura would be persistent, annoying if she had to be. She hated to see Sasuke upset. She hated to see him anything but content, though his expressions never really showed much feeling. Sakura learned to understand, though, the complex ways of the quiet avenger-she felt she knew him well.  
  
"Nothing," he replied curtly, looking annoyed. He looked like himself for a fleeting moment-Sakura almost smiled in satisfaction-but in seconds he looked just as he had before.  
  
Maybe he's fine, Sakura thought, suddenly feeling stupid. She glanced up at him and saw him staring straight ahead, eyes looking empty, lips a thin line on a pale face. The usual, she noted, but this time was much different. He was not fine, and Sakura wouldn't leave until he was.  
  
"W-what are you thinking about?"   
  
She was tentative to ask him. Though they had all become closer over the three years of training, Sasuke always remained the same: mysterious, secretive. Sakura didn't mean to barge in on him this way, or pester him, or seem nosy. She instantly regretted ever coming. Sasuke would never open up to her-or anyone, for that matter-and she wished she hadn't tried to make him.  
  
"You," Sasuke answered, keeping the same expression.  
  
Sakura didn't know what happened in those next few seconds. She absorbed his words like a sponge, and was hungry for more. A cool breeze swept through the forest and blew her hair across her eyes, but she failed to blink. Her palms began to sweat and her heart pounded. Sasuke was thinking about her. Sasuke was thinking about her. It was almost too good to be true. Sakura vaguely wondered if this was a dream. If it is, she thought, please don't wake me up.  
  
"Me?" She hardly dared believe she could speak. The words came out high pitched and she felt embarrassed.   
  
"You," he said, nodding. He clasped his hands and rested his chin on them, a pose Sakura had gotten used to a while ago. There was a long pause in which Sakura thought her heart would burst; Sasuke continued, talking to the air and avoiding her eyes.  
  
"Kakashi wasn't really wondering where I was, was he?"   
  
Sakura put her head down. "N-no," she muttered, cheeks flushed. "Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry I lied and-"   
  
"It's okay." She heard him shift on the branch, a soft landing on the ground. In a few seconds he was facing her, far away but close enough to touch if Sakura extended her arm out a bit.  
  
Sakura looked up at him; the glow from the sun made an odd, dreamy aura surround him. Was that was the faintest trace of a smile?   
  
"Why are you here, then?" Now Sasuke felt rather stupid. He knew exactly why she was there. He knew then and he had known for years. It was a useless question, but for unexplained reasons, he desired a solid answer and waited patiently as Sakura sorted out her jumbled thoughts.  
  
"I-I was worried," she muttered finally, blushing furiously. "I-I thought..."  
  
Sasuke looked at her quizzically. "What?"  
  
"I thought you ran away..." Why was she telling him this? Did he honestly care?   
  
"Oh," he said, looking slightly confused, a look he didn't often possess. "I...didn't."  
  
Sakura attempted a smile. It was difficult. She wished she were in her sleeping bag in the sunlit room, even if Naruto snored louder than she could have ever imagined. "I'm glad," she said honestly. For a chance to make him smile, she added, "And that's not a lie this time."  
  
Unfortunately for Sakura, it didn't work. Sasuke remained confused; the golden aura had faded by now, seeing that the sun had finished rising quite a while ago.  
  
"I was thinking about it," Sasuke muttered. Why was he telling her this? Did she honestly care?  
  
"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura did not know how to reply. "Why?" For reasons she could not explain, tears formed in her eyes and she struggled to keep them hidden. "Aren't-aren't we...don't you...am I really that bad?"   
  
Sasuke sighed. It was a soft sigh that he later hoped was inaudible, though Sakura noticed it and felt guilty the same time he did. Sakura had saved him-not once, not twice, not even three times-and he was grateful, even though he didn't show it. He hated for her to think she was unbearable. Her presence was a light in the dark-and a helpful one, at that.  
  
"No," he replied, trying not to appear weakened by her loss of emotion control. "No, it's just-it's not you...it's..." He struggled for the right words. "Damnit, Sakura. I'm sorry."  
  
Sakura blinked. The world froze around them. It was only her and Sasuke. Her and Sasuke and his words.  
  
"It's okay; you don't have to apologize!" she said, feeling annoying. "I-I should be...I'm sorry...I'll go..." A loose tear trickled down her cheek. Sasuke tried to ignore it.   
  
He failed.  
  
His arm had a mind of it's own. He surprised even himself when he found himself brushing the tear away with his index finger. His touch was soft. Sakura wanted him to keep his hand there, to press it against her cheek forever. Unfortunately, his arm retreated to his side and her cheek felt slightly colder than it had before without the tingle of his touch.  
  
"I'm sorry," he repeated, as though he had violated Sakura's personal space.   
  
Sakura shook her head. This must be an awfully long dream, she thought to herself, wondering when she would wake up and ruin it all. "Thank you...for doing that," she replied to his apology, confused.   
  
She closed her eyes. Maybe she wasn't dreaming. Maybe she was lost. She was somewhere in the forest, starving, helpless. With her last ounce of sanity, Sakura had created an illusion to please her. The illusion was doing a fine job of keeping her mind off hunger. When I open my eyes, Sakura thought, I'll see a plate of food.   
  
She suddenly felt something soft against her face. Sakura's eyes sprang open and saw a strand of jet black hair brushing her forehead. Sasuke pushed it out of the way and looked at her with wide eyes. He was so close. She didn't even need to move to touch him. She could feel his body warmth just by standing still.   
  
She had never seen his eyes so wide. They weren't empty anymore. They were pools of emotion. Windows to the soul, as someone had said. Windows to someone's heart.   
  
Sasuke's had always been closed.  
  
Perhaps today the windows were open.  
  
"Are you okay, Sakura?"   
  
His breath was sweet. Sakura nodded. "I-"  
  
Sasuke's lips found hers instantly. It was a quick, soft, unexpected kiss, and was over before Sakura could realize it wasn't a dream or an illusion.   
  
"I'm sorry for everything I ever did that I didn't mean to do."  
  
Sakura smiled softly. She looked him in the eyes and muttered the words he wanted to hear.  
  
"You're forgiven." 


End file.
